Every year I round-up my top ten most popular friendship articles and 
share them once more. Many of you joined us half-way through the year, missed a post here-or-there or just want to re-read some of the best ones to see how they resonate with you now.
1. In Sickness and in Health: 5 Things I Wish My Friends Knew About Friendship and Illness
With nearly 1 in 2 of us suffering from some form of chronic (often invisible) illness, we all want to become more sensitive and thoughtful in how we interact with one another. This blog talks about how to make and keep friends when energy and health often feels limited, challenged or uncertain.
2. How much do you REALLY want good friends?
What price tag is friendship worth to you? Unfortunately, the actual process of making friends includes activities and feelings most of us would rather avoid. This blog challenges us to ask ourselves how much we value friendships and what we are willing to invest for the outcome we desire.
3. The 7 Verbs for Better Sex, Works for Friendships, Too
The acclaimed “sex therapist”, Dr. Esther Perel, offers 7 verbs for healthier relationships and these apply to platonic friendships too! This is the perfect blog post for reflection on the year 2016. Ask yourself how comfortable you are at practicing these verbs, how hard or easy these actions are for you, and what you want to work on in 2017.
4. 2 Ways to Respond to Friends Who Annoy or Frustrate
This amazing video blog talks about how to respond to frustrating friendship experiences and taking steps to build upon what you have rather than giving up and walking away when your needs are not met. While these steps won’t fix every situation, they are certainly the first two steps we should practice in our attempts to repair or enhance a friendship that isn’t feeling super meaningful.
Your friendships are at risk of not reaching “frientimacy” when your friends aren’t practicing speaking up or when you’re not listening as much as you’re sharing. This blog post helps us identify if we are giving our friends the space they need to be seen and provides over-talkers with 5 practices to pave the way for deeper and more meaningful friendships.
6. How to Respond to a Friend’s Pity Party
I think it is safe to say we have all had moments where we feel our inner mean girl come out and our self-doubt, fear, personal gaps and a general feeling of failure takes over our brains. In this blog post, Shasta shares how her friend responded when she felt under-attack by herself so we can all feel inspired to show up for each other.
7. A Practice for “I Don’t Have Time for Friends”
Lack of time for friendships is one of the most common complaints when it comes to doing what we know would develop our friendships toward greater fulfillment. We know that time together bonds us, but where does one find that time? This blog post talks about an ancient practice called Sabbath and invites you to re-orient your life. Cease and desist for one day to focus on you!
8. The Cost of the Constant Catch-Up Cycle
Are your friendships caught in a vicious cycle of not spending enough time together to feel really meaningful? This blog post helps us understand the price of the Constant Catch-Up Cycle and invites us to move beyond just catching up and achieve the frientimacy we crave.
9. The Other 3 Most Powerful Words
These 3 words can open up repairing conversations with a friend where we might feel some tension, distance, or frustration. Therapist, Tricia Andor, reminds us how simple and easy it can be for all of us to take on an awkward or uncomfortable conversation that may help deepen the friendship and grow our emotional muscles.
10. The Verdict: Can Men and Women Be Close Friends?
Our lives can be enhanced from all types of relationships. The goal isn’t to limit what type of love and community we can create in our lives, but rather to do so in ways that are healthy and honest. This blog post challenges us to reflect on your cross-gender friendships and take a deeper look into how meaningful and supportive they are in your life.
A huge thanks to all my GirlFriendCircles.com members and readers of my blog!
May we continue in 2017 to honor all that is right with friendship, committing ourselves regularly to the practices of healthy personal development and relationship joy.
- Shasta
p.s. As always, I welcome your comments! Share with me which one is your favorite!
p.s.s Want more popular articles?
Top Ten Most Popular Friendship Article of 2015
Top Ten Most Popular Friendship Article of 2014
Top Ten Most Popular Friendship Article of 2013
Top Ten Most Popular Friendship Articles of 2012
Top Ten Most Popular Friendship Articles of 2011